A brief yearly silence has once again enveloped South Korea, as half a million students across the country sit for the most important test of their li

Pop hit APT too distracting for S Korea's exam-stressed students

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2024-11-14 14:30:03

A brief yearly silence has once again enveloped South Korea, as half a million students across the country sit for the most important test of their lives.

Planes were grounded, construction work halted, and car honking discouraged as the Suneung, an eight-hour university placement exam billed as one of the toughest in the world, kicked off on Thursday.

The global hit by Blackpink's Rosé and Bruno Mars emerged as a "forbidden" song among students who feared that its catchiness could cause them to lose focus during the test.

No distractions are too minor when it comes to the Suneung, which many see as a culmination of years of formal education - and a turning point that determines their university placements, careers, and social statuses.

"I’m worried that the song will play in my head even during the exam," one student told Yonhap News of the chart-topper. "Adults might laugh and say, 'Why stress over something like that?' But for us, with such an important test ahead, it can feel unsettling."

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